‘White House Down’ Free For All Military Members on July 4

Sony and the nation’s four largest exhibitors — Regal, AMC, Cinemark and Carmike — are showing their patriotism this Fourth of July by offering free admission to “White House Down” for active military personnel and veterans.

The giveaway is available Thursday only on a first-come, first-served basis with a proper military ID. Each military attendee is allowed one guest.

“We think ‘White House Down’ is the summer’s best action movie,” said Sony worldwide distribution prexy Rory Bruer. “It’s a great way to celebrate the holiday and to honor and thank the troops for their service to our country.”

“White House Down,” from helmer Roland Emmerich, stars Channing Tatum as an aspiring secret-service agent and Jamie Foxx, who plays the President. Pic follows both characters as they fight against a terrorist attack on the White House.

The $150 million-budgeted film got off to a disappointing start last weekend, grossing less than $25 million domestically. The July Fourth giveaway also is aimed at building word-of-mouth for the film over the coming weeks.

Sony’s play here is to have a service member with a guest bring others along who will be paying customers; word-of-mouth will be well-after the fact and may embellish box office receipts in the week(s) that follows.

And yet giving the movie away like this — for free — using the holiday as pretext seems more a last-minute act of desperation (given the competition) and not an act of patriotism.